Side By Side
by EvilRegal98
Summary: Emma Swan was living a fairly normal life in Boston. She had an apartment that overlooked the skyline, a job and a boyfriend, even though he lived in another state. Taking everything into account, she was happy. That was until a beautiful and pregnant brunette appeared on her doorstep, claiming that Emma had stolen her husband. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note:** Hope you guys like it ;)

...

Emma Swan was - as many people would call it - a regular woman. Well except for being a bounty hunter, but you get the point. She lived in a regular appartment, in a regular city. She even had a boyfriend, even though he lived in another state. He was handsome, a little older but Emma liked that about him. Ever since her boyfriend Neal had dumped her, she was done with stupid 'boys'.

...

**~ Six months ago ~ **

She let out a sigh as she stepped into the cramped bar. Her feet were aching from walking in crazy high heels all day because of some lame - unsuccessful she should add - undercover job. She needed to bring in a guy named Dofus, just Dofus. _Who the fuck names their child Dofus?! _So after running around all day, she really needed to sit down and relax with a beer. Yes, a nice cold beer would do nicely.

She pushed herself passed the hordes of drunken man, mostly Japanese businessmen, and some tattooed giants with leather vests. Which was so out of date by the way. Not that she would be the one to tell them that. She knew better.

Dropping herself down on a vacant bar stool she leaned both of her elbows on the wood. She felt the small crumbles of peanut dig in her bare flesh, but was too tired to care. "One beer." She said to the young man behind the bar, signaling a one with her finger for extra clarity. After a confirming nod she turned on her stool so she could stare at the people in the small establishment. To be fair this place was actually quite cosy, if you overlooked the drunken dumbasses that were scattered around it. Some playing pool, some just busy drinking or gawking their eyeballs out at the pretty barmaids.

And Emma couldn't blame them. They were quite beautiful in those short skirts and low cut tops their - probably perverted - bosses made them wear. She couldn't help but lick her lips when one bent over. Emma was no stranger to the seduction of females. If you wanted to put a label on it, Emma Swan was definely a bisexual. And she loved it.

"Here's your beer." The young man said as he placed the bottle on the bar. The beer was cold, so cold that the droplets of water still slid down the glass.

"Thanks." Emma replied as she slammed a couple of dollars on the counter.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Emma turned around when she hears the low vibrations of a man's voice. She was met by the sight of a handsome man from around thirty five years. His features were strong and his hair was a dark almost black color, making his blue eyes stand out. His teeth were white, almost blinding white. The same kind of white that they always showed in those toothpaste commercials, where you just know that it's photoshopped. Apperantly not.

"No." Emma said as she surpressed the blush that wanted to creep up her cheeks when he gave her a dazzeling smile. The way those dimples appeared in his cheeks whenever he smiled were really attractive. If Emma Swan wasn't Emma Swan she would've called them cute.

"Well, then I'm in luck tonight." He sat down on the stool next to her, never breaking eye contact.

"Oh and why's that?" Emma asked before she could really think it through. Why the hell was she feeling nervous?!

"Because I get to sit down next to a beautiful woman." He took a look at her almost empty beer bottle and ordered another one only using a sign. "Who also like beer. Well, you may be the woman of my dreams.." He looked at her expectantly, wanting her to tell her name.

"Emma." She said.

"Emma." He repeated with a smile. "I'm Peter, peter Johnson."

Peter Johnson. Even his name sounded upperclass. His charmes did too, by the way. He was smooth, Emma would give him that.

"And what, may I ask, is a businessman doing in this _dangerous_ part of Boston."

"I could ask the same of you, Emma. But to sooth your curious mind, I will answer. I'm here on a business trip." He said as he placed one beer in front of the blonde.

"Ah, comes with the job, I take it." She said as she nodded a thanks before taking a generous gulp. The alcohol gave her a warm and pleasant buzz.

"Yes, it certainly does." He said with a laugh as he took a gulp of his own.

...

**~ Present ~**

To make a long story short, she had eventually ended up in the man's bed. Something she wasn't proud of by the way. Kicking off her old converse she walked into the kitchen. Her bare feet were padding against the hard wooden floor.

It had been a long day and Emma longed for a beer. No, she needed a beer. Opening her bright red American fridge, she grabbed for one of the green bottles. Reveling in the way the cold numbed her fingers.

She was just about to place the glass bottle at her lips when she heard the familiar buzz of the doorbell. It was broken and making an annoying ring, and Emma scolded herself that she still hadn't fixed the damn thing yet. She moved slowly as she placed the bottle on the kitchen counter with an annoyed sigh. Who the hell would come over at this hour, who the hell would come over in general? Walking over to her front door she opened it with yet another sigh.

"What do you want? I'm not looking to switch religions." She snapped as she finally looked up to see who was standing on her threshold. She instantly regretted her rudeness when she was met by the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

Her hair was shoulder length and a dark brown, almost black. And her been orbs were the most expressive ones Emma had ever seen. The woman was slim and curvy even though she looked about six months pregnant.

Why the hell would this goddess be standing on her doorstep at ten pm?

"I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." Well that was about the most lame excuse Emma had ever heard herself say. She inwardly groaned.

The woman looked up at her with her piercing brown eyes and Emma felt like they looked right into her soul. Terrifying to say the least.

"Are you Emma Swan?" Her low and sultry voice uttered and Emma felt her heart jump at the sound.

Oh, oh. It was never good if someone knew your name before you have even met them.

"Yes, I am. Who asks?"

"I'm Regina Mills."

_Regina..._ Of course that was her name.

"What can I do for you, miss Mills." She asked as she leaned against her doorpost nonchalantly.

"Oh, I only wanted to see you."

Alright, this was officially getting creepy. "Why?"

"I just wanted to see the slut who has been sleeping with my husband and tell her that he died a month ago." She said, her voice sounding cold.

That came unexpected. Like really, really unexpected. So the bastard has - or rather had - a wife.

"I, I. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that he had a wife."

"Of course you weren't, dear. But nonetheless, you slept with the father of my two children. Nothing can change that."

Shit, now she really felt bad. "Children?"

"Yes, children. Have a pleasant night."

Regina turned around but seemed to remember something the moment she wanted to take her first step.

"Oh and miss Swan." She said as she turned around again to face the blonde.

"Yes?"

She didn't even saw the hand coming from her left. It was too late to duck or step aside, for the small and tanned hand connected hashly with her left cheek, leaving a stinging sensation.

Through a blur of tears Emma could see the woman's form retreating.

_Well, that was definetly something new. _

...

I would love to know what you all thought of it, so leave a review! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note: I want to thank all of you for the kind responses to this story, so here's another chapter, enjoy ;)

...

It's been a week since the strange woman - who was apperantly her now dead boyfriend's wife - stopped by her door to first insult her and then slap her in the face.

Emma knew that normally, she would be furious to have been called a slut only to be hit in the face afterwards. It's was kind off an overkill if you asked her. But now, now she wasn't even feeling the slightest hint of anger. Which was unusual to say the least.

No, instead of raging anger towards the woman she felt a nagging in her stomach. Guilt. An emotion that was rare to Emma Swan. And even though she really wanted to blame it all on Peter for leading her on while he had a pregnant wife at home, the feeling just wouldn't go away.

...

**~ Six months ago ~ **

"Peter, do you really need to go?" Regina whined as she placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips. She pulled back, but kept her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Yes, darling. I'm sorry." He said as he placed another kiss on her plump lips.

"Fine." Regina huffed. "But before you go, I have to tell you something." She said with a grin.

"Oh?" He said while raising his dark eyebrows. "What is it?"

She leaned forward so her mouth was close to his ear. Her breath felt deliciously warm in the crisp morning air.

"I'm pregnant." She whispered softly and then pulled back, waiting for his reaction while biting her lower lip between her pearling white teeth.

His face broke out in a grin. "Really?! That's amazing!" He laughed and picked her up so he could spin her around before putting her back on the ground.

"Now I really don't want to go."

"Then don't."

"Regina." He sighed softly. "You know I have to."

"Yes, I know, you're right."

"Where's my little boy, I want to say goodbye to him."

Regina smiled. "Henry's in the kitchen."

Peter nodded and walked into the kitchen to see the little four year old brunet boy sitting on the ground, coloring a bear - or what should be a bear - with a blue crayon.

"Daddy!" He screamed as his little hands reached for his father. "Look whats I made." He said with a proud grin on his face.

Peter bend down down to pick his son up. "Very good, Henry." He said softly as Henry's little hands grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"Do you really have to gow, daddy?" Henry asked while looking up with the big brown that he had inherited from his mother. Peter looked down at his son and then looked up to Regina, silently asking for help about how to answer.

"Yes, Henry. But daddy will be back before you know it." Regina said as she reached for her son.

Peter shot his wife a grateful smile as he placed Henry in her arms. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before grabbing his suitcase and walking to the front door, followed by Regina and Henry.

"Take care of yourself and the little one, alright." Peter said as he kissed both his wife and his son on the forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too, darling" she said lovingly as she nudged the little boy in her arms to say goodbye to his father.

"Love you, daddy!"

...

**~ Seven days ago ~ **

Tears blurred her vision when Regina stepped out of the apartmentbuilding. Her hand was stinging from the force of the slap she had delivered to the blonde woman's cheek. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins.

Once she reached her black Mercedes, she quickly got in. The cold leather felt comforting against her warm hands as she grabbed the steering wheel tightly. The tears that have been stinging her eyes ever since the blonde Swan woman had opened her door, finally broke lose. Droplets of salt liquid streamed down her cheeks and smuged her make up. All those horrors she's been through for the last month all came flooding out along with the traitorous tears.

It was relieving to finally cry, really cry. Not the soft sobbing what she did in her bed at night, keeping quiet so as not to wake Henry. Her muscles suddenly lost all strength and she dropped her limp hands in her lap. A smacking noise filled the car as her hands connected with the fabric of her black maternity slacks. Regina brought her hands to her large stomach and rubbed it in soothing circles.

Regina was feeling all sorts of emotions and the pregnancy hormones were certainly not making it any easier. Betrayal was the strongest one of all. Her husband, whom she had been married to for seven years, the father of her children, had cheated on her with some blonde skank he met on a business trip. It was ironical that if Peter hadn't died, she would've never found out.

As if telling your four year old son that his father died isn't bad enough. No, instead she had to find out that he cheated on her too.

It turns out that life really is a bitch.

...

"Mommy you're home again!" Henry yelled as he ran towards his mother as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Regina had just closed the door behind her, hoping that - even though it sounds terrible - that Henry would be fast asleep already. She was exhausted and being pregnant didn't help very much, the long trip back to Storybrooke had taken up most of her energy and now she had to deal with a hyperactive four year old.

"Hello Henry." She said with a tired smile as she bend down to pick the little boy up. Katherine came walking into the foyer.

"Hey, Regina. I'm sorry, this little guy here didn't want to go to sleep before you were home." She said with a smile.

"Oh, it's fine dear." Regina said as she shot the blonde a genuine smile. "I will just put him to bed then."

"Sure." Katherine nodded. "I'll go put on some tea."

Regina slowly got up the stairs, Henry securely placed on her hip. Henry's room was mostly blue, with some white stripes here and there. His bed was placed against the wall, right where his crib used to be. She set the boy down and Henry immediatly went to his bed.

When Regina was done tucking him in, she placed a kiss on his forehead and straightened up again. "Goodnight Henry." She said softly.

"Goodnight, mommy." The young boy said as he buried his face in his pillow, his eyes were already closed as the sleep finally took him.

She made sure to snap the nightlight on as she left the room and made her way downstairs again. Katherine was already sitting on the couch, two mugs of tea were on the table.

"So how was Boston?" Katherine asked as Regina kicked off her heels and sat down on the couch. She handed the tired brunette a mug of the steaming liquid and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Well, I found her." Regina said as she took a sip of the scolding tea, reveling in the way it burned her throat a little. "And then I called her a slut and slapped her in the face."

Katherine couldn't contain the laugh and it escaped in the nearly silent living room. "The mayor of Storybrooke slapped a random woman in the face?! This is hilarious."

"Well she wasn't really a random woman, now was she?" Regina's voice turned bitter and Katherine immediatly dropped her smile.

"No she wasn't." Katherine said softly as she reached forward to grab Regina's hand. "How are you holding up?"

"I don't know." The brunette said with a sigh. "I'm managing, for Henry. I can't break down in front of him even though it really want to sometimes. I need to be strong for him... and for her." She said softly as she rubbed her enlarged stomach. "I'm very conflicted. I want to hate Peter for cheating on me, but I still loved him. He was my husband, he was my support and he gave me these two wonderful children."

"That's understandable, Regina. You have the right to be angry at him, just as much as you have the right to be angry with that Swan person. Just remember that I'm here for you, just a street away."

"Thank you, Katherine." Regina said as she gave the blonde a watery smile.

...

**~ Present ~ **

Emma sighed as she found out that het beer bottle was yet again empty. It sort off symbolized her life a little. If you drink too generous, it would be empty quickly, but if you take your time you could really enjoy it.

_Oh god_. Emma inwardly groaned. _I've sunken to the point where I'm comparing beer bottles with life. _

She eyed the three empty bottles with disdain. It didn't matter how much she drank, the guilt was still eating away at her, which was weird because it wasn't even her fault that the bastard cheated on his pregnant wife with her.

But still... Emma Swan knew better than just to trust a smooth talking guy. She should've known better. _Dammit_.

And now that Regina woman was alone, pregnant, and with another child apparently. Maybe if Emma could just apologize, the feeling would go away. She tried to remember the name of the town Peter had once mentioned. _Str- no, ston- nope. It was something like a storybook... Storybrooke! _

She still didn't know if it was the alcohol talking. But it seems like Emma Swan was going to Storybrooke.

...

Leave a review! ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Emma Swan wiped her tired eyes when she saw the green 'welcome to Storybrooke' sign on the side of the road. The moment her old yellow bug crossed the townline, a nervous feeling filled her stomach. The realization dawned on her, she was actually doing this.

Emma fucking Swan had just driven four hours to get to a town with _the_ most stupid name she has ever heard, so she could apologize to a woman who hit her in the face in face and than insulted her, because she had slept with said woman's husband.

_This is insane. _

But maybe, Emma wondered as her clammy hands squeezed the steering wheel tighter, maybe it was because it appeared that there were children involved. Emma didn't know why but the fact that the woman was pregnant and had said the word children, as in plural, bothered her the most. She had always had a soft spot for children.

After driving about five minutes it seemed that she had finally reached civilization again. She drove by the small houses one by one, some were white others were pale yellow. The bright neon sign of a diner called 'Granny's' caught her attention. Surely they would know who the brunette was in there, it seemed like half the town was seated in the small establishment.

She parked her yellow bug on the side of the street and stepped out into the cold and crisp Maine air. Now that she was no longer protected by her bug, the wind harshly whipped her face and turned her cheeks a rosy color.

Her green eyes slowly scanned the new surroundings. This was probably Main Street, Emma guessed. There were shops surrounding the street on both sides. A bakery, a candy store, a supermarket, a pharmacy and so on. Emma locked the car door and turned around to see a pretty brunette putting down a large sign.

**'Dessert of the day: Apple turnover!  
(Yes, with the mayor's apples.)**

It read in curly letters, written with white chalk. Emma didn't know why they felt the need to write 'the mayor's apples', like it was of some kind of importance. But hey, she was new here.

"Hey, I haven't seen you here before." The young woman said as she took a step forwards in her absurdly high heels. It seems like the woman liked red, because it was the main color she was wearing.

Emma reciprocated her kind smile with an awkward one. "Yes, I'm new here." She said as she put her hands in her coat pockets.

"I'm Ruby."

Emma had the urge to roll her eyes, of course her name was Ruby, the red was an obvious giveaway. "Emma."

"Well, Emma." She said and the smile remained on her face. "Why don't you come in, it's warmer inside."

Emma looked Ruby up and down and noticed the barely legal shorts the woman was wearing. "Of course."

She followed the brunette into the cozy and warm diner. Her eyes scanned the crowd as every eye turned towards her. The rosy color that was from the cold immediatly turned a shade darker, Emma was not used to this kind of attention. She quickly took a seat at the counter, trying to ignore the stares that were burning holes in her back.

"Can I have a hot chocolate?" She asked the kind looking older woman, who was probably _the_ 'Granny'.

"Sure..." Granny asked with her eyebrows raised, signaling she wanted to know a name.

"I'm Emma, Emma Swan."

"Ah, a newcomer." Granny said with a small nod as she turned around to fix the hot drink.

"And what bring you to this small and humble town, Emma Swan? Or is it a secret?" The old woman shot her a cheeky smile and she pushed her round glasses further up her nose. She put the cup down in front of the younger woman and leaned both of her elbows on the wooden counter

Emma would normally snap back a rude reply at the woman's curiosity, but something inside of her liked and admired the old woman for her boldness. A wolf in sheep's clothing, dare she say it.

"I'm looking for someone." She answered as she stirred her hot chocolate. The spoon was hot due to the tempature of the drink, but Emma liked the warm feeling against her cold numbed fingers. The burning feeling was also a welcome distraction form the guilt that was still swimming inside of her stomach.

"And who would that be?"

"A woman." Emma said cautiously. "She's brunette and pregnant, her name is Regina, I think."

Granny's grey eyebrows shot up in surprise, this was certainly the first time someone came to this town looking for their very own mayor.

"Well, that sounds an awful lot like our mayor, Regina Mills."

Emma closed her eyes for a second. Great, Regina was the mayor. Just what she needed. "Do you have any idea where I can find her?"

The older woman poked her lip out in thought. "I think at home, she's been mostly working from there ever since her husband died." She was too deep in thought to notice Emma's obvious swallow. "A tragedy really, now she has to take care of Henry and the new one all alone. And to answer your question, she lives on Mifflin street, biggest house on the block, you can't miss it."

"Um.. Yeah... Thanks." Emma quickly stood up, the smell of the hot chocolate making her nauseous all of a sudden. She placed a couple of crumbled dollars on the counter and turned around to make her way out off the cramped diner.

"But a warning, miss Swan." Granny's voice sounded from behind her, causing her to stop and slowly turn around so she could look at the old woman. "Regina can be a hard woman to deal with, certainly when she's pregnant."

Emma nodded and stalked out of the door, but not before she murmured a soft 'believe me, I do' back.

...

Regina slowly got down the stairs, her four year old hopping behind her.

"Look mommy, i'ma bunny!" The small boy yelled as he jumped down and landed on the floor. His bare feet smacking against the hard wooden floor.

"Henry!" Regina softly scolded. "What did I tell you about jumping down the stairs."

The boy looked down in embarrassment. "That I shouldn't do it because it's dangewous and I could huwt myself. I'm sowwy mommy."

"That's alright, Henry." But when she didn't see his smile returning she continued. "But you were a cute bunny, darling."

His toothy smile was bright as he wrapped his arms around her legs. "What are we going to do today, mommy?!"

Regina smile fell. "Don't you remember what I told you yesterday, Henry?"

The boy poked out his lip in thought and his eyebrows furrowed. "Oh." He said as he remember it. "You said that we would put flowers on daddy's gr...grave." He said with childlike oblivion. "When will daddy come back, mommy? He's neva been gone this long, not even for wowk!"

Regina sighed as she picked up her son and walked to the kitchen. She placed the small boy on the table and looked him in his brown eyes, exactly the same color as her own. "Henry, you know what I told you, right?" She swallowed and felt the salty tears prick her eyes.

The boy nodded. "That daddy isn't coming home again, because his heart stopped. But that's strange, because you were there too and you are still here." He pointed at his chest with his index finger. "With me."

She grabbed her sons small hand and kissed if softly, making Henry squeal in delight. "That's right, I'm still here. But Henry, daddy had a heart attack which caused his heart to stop, but I didn't, that's why I'm still here."

The boy nodded as if he understood, but Regina was sure that he would ask again tomorrow. She wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

She picked Henry up and placed him on the ground, ignoring the small twinge of pain in her back. The moment the boy's feet hit the ground he started running towards the door. Regina rolled her eyes, Henry had always been very curious.

...

Emma walked up the long pathway towards the big white door. The golden 108 was shining in the sunlight. She took measured steps, the nervous feeling in her stomach only intensifying every step she took. Closer and closer towards the white mansion, the home of Mayor Regina Mills.

She pushed the doorbell and heard the musical sound muffled through the door. She waited a moment and heard quick steps running towards the door. The moment the door opened, Emma's eyebrows shot up. She was met by the sight of a small boy, about four years old. The child's features reminded her of the woman who stopped by her appartment more then a week ago, but there was some Peter in there too.

"Henry who's th-" the sultry voice stopped immediatly the moment she saw the familiar blonde woman. "Henry go to the living room, please." She said softly.

"But mommy." Henry started to protest, but a stern look from his mother had him walked towards the living room, his head hung low in disappointment.

The moment her son was out of earshot, Regina took a step forwards and narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here, miss Swan?"

...

Okay, don't hate me for the cliffhanger! Leave a review! ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors note:** kind off a short chapter but I didn't want to let you guys wait any longer. And about the guest review, Emma and Peter's relationship will be further explained. ;)

...

**~ Four weeks ago ~**

"I'm so sorry Regina. He's gone."

Dr. Whale's words hit her like a ton of bricks. They were slowly crushing her, going through flesh, muscle, bone and finally, heart. The comforting hand on her shoulder did nothing to relieve the ache. It still burned, crushed and squeezed her fragile heart. Blood ran cold in her veins, it was as if she froze from the inside out. Her senses shut off, she didn't hear the comforting words coming from Katherine's mouth. She didn't hear the confused and sleepy gurgles coming from her four year old son, who was comfortably resting his head on Katherine's shoulder, oblivious to the terrible words Regina had just heard.

"No." She heard her own voice say in a whisper. Thought she didn't know she even moved her mouth.

She couldn't breathe. It was all too much. Her whole world started to collapse. Alone. Regina Mills was alone. Left alone to raise her toddler and her unborn child. Completely and utterly alone.

Peter was gone, he had died. Left her. She didn't know what to do without him. She loved him, he had been her rock. During all those awful nights when she had nightmares about her mother, or her college boyfriend. He had been there for her. During her morning sickness with Henry, during his birth, he had been there for her!

And now he was gone.

"Regina, take deep breathes sweetheart."

Katherine's voice was trying to sooth her, but Regina didn't even register it. Her breathing quickened, she couldn't stop. The mental image of him crashing down on the black and white floor of her office at Town Hall kept plaguing her, haunting her. The sounds of his fading heartbeat were loud in her ears, keeping out all other sounds.

Those last and haunting words kept repeating like a loop inside of her aching brain. "Regina, I'm so sorry." Where the hell had he been sorry for?

She felt hands pushing her softly in one of the hard chairs. Her aching back connected with the plastic, but Regina was too far gone to care.

_Peter is gone..._

"Regina, please calm down. Think about the baby."

Again, Katherine's voice. Her brown eyes filled with tears and blurred her vision. Turning the blonde head in front of her to a blur of vague shapes.

"Mommy?"

And that did it. _Henry_. She needed to be strong for Henry. He needed her, the little boy was going to grow up without a father. Suddenly she felt weak for breaking down completely in front of her four year old son. He needed a strong mother, not a weeping mess of a woman.

Her breathing started to slow down but the salty tears remained. She looked down at the little boy who was trying to get free of Katherine's grip, so he could jump on her lap. She reached out, wanting the little boy close to her. Katherine slowly handed him over and Henry immediatly hugged his mother, as well as he could with her pregnant belly in the way.

"Mommy, down't sad." He said softly as his small fingers wiped the tears from her pale cheeks. He got on his knees and leaned one hand on her belly while the other stroked her face.

"No, Henry." Regina said with a watery smile. She took his little hand in her own and placed a kiss on it. "Mommy don't sad."

The boy grinned as he tried to pull his hand away from his mother's lips. "Iew mommy! No kwisses!" He said with a toothy grin.

"Really? Can I really have no kiss from my little prince?" Regina asked with a pout.

The boy seemed to think about it for a second before he leaned forwards and placed a wet kiss on his mother's cheek.

"Thank you Henry." It was for so much more then just a kiss. She turned towards a sad looking Katherine. "Could you please take us home?"

...

**~ Present ~ **

_The moment her son was out of earshot, Regina took a step forwards and narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here, miss Swan?" _

Emma awkwardly shifted her boot over the stone. The woman was as intimidating as Emma remembered. "Ehm, I'm here to, you know."

Regina let out a loud sigh as she moved back to shut the door in the woman's face. She really didn't need her dead husband's mistress at her door. It was still too fresh, maybe after a couple of years, or never. She knew she had been the one to seek out the blonde, but she certainly didn't want her son exposed to such a _person_.

However, when she was about shut the pristine white front door, a brown boot quickly shot between the door and the doorframe. Regina cursed inwardly. Why did the blonde woman not notice that Regina didn't want her in her life. She just wanted to forget her husband's betrayal and she wasn't going to accomplish that if the Swan woman kept showing up.

"No wait." Emma said as she pushed the door open again. She tried to ignore the daggers shot at her by the brunette woman, though it wasn't really working. "I want to apologize."

Regina snorted. "You want to apologize?"

"Yeah, I want to. Even though I didn't know he was married, I still feel bad, you know."

"No I don't know, because you see miss Swan. I don't just start sleeping with a man before I know if he's married or not."

Emma cringed at the biting tone it was said. Like it was really burning her skin. Or her soul. Or both. "I know, I should've asked but still. I just felt bad and I wanted to apologize."

"Well, that's great miss Swan." She grabbed the golden doorknob with her right hand. "Have a nice trip back to Boston." This time Emma was too late from stopping the door to be shut. She stared at the golden 108 and saw the reflection of her own eyes.

_Well, that could've gone smoother..._

Emma sighed as she turned around on the pathway and started walking back to her yellow bug. "Guess it's time to head back to Boston." She said to herself aloud once she was safely seated inside the old car.

The houses on the side of the road turned into a blur as she picked up her speed. Being in this a town was feeling very... Unnatural, she guessed. Being that deep in thought she missed the sprinting dalmatier who was crossing the road. A hard jerk at the steering wheel had her suddenly banging against a nearby tree.

She looked shocked as her fingers grabbed the wheel tightly until her knuckles turned a goshtly white.

"Oh my!" The owner of the dog yelled as he ran towards her car. He opened the door and crouched down. "Are you alright? Do you need a doctor?"

Emma groaned as she shook her head. "No I'm fine." She heard the sissing noise coming form under the hood of her now litterally beat up bug. Well, apparently she _wasn't_ leaving Storybrooke. Dammit.

Loud barks came from the dalmatier as he ran towards his owner. The dog started licking her hand and Emma pulled it away with a disgusted scowl on her face.

_At least the bloody dog was okay..._

...

Leave a review, they make me very happy ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors note**: Thank you all for the kind reviews, I'm so glad you all like the story! ;)

...

Emma inwardly cursed as she watched how her beloved yellow bug was being towed away by a big red truck. She looked down at the dog - apparently named Pongo - who was sitting at her feet, staring at her with his big puppy eyes.

"Stop looking like that, you did this." Emma whispered to the dog, soft enough so the owner of the dog didn't hear. She put both of her hands in her back pockets.

"Again I'm so sorry, miss..." The red haired man said again.

"Swan, Emma Swan." She answered with an extra glare at the dog.

"I'm Dr. Archie Hopper, the town's psychiatrist." He said with a kind smile as he twisted the faded red leach in his large hands.

Emma wondered what such a small town as Storybrooke would need a psychiatrist for, but then remembered that the town is called _Storybrooke_. The person who came up with such a name must be not entirely right in his head.

"Can I buy you a drink?" The man asked but then blushed as he heard how that must've sounded. "As an apology, I mean."

Well, Emma mused, she could really use a drink right now. "Sure, that's fine."

The man's eyes lit up, happy that he could sooth his guilty consious this way. They walked - Emma actually hated walking - towards the same quaint diner she had been that morning. Granny was still crowded with people, sounds of laughter coming from inside of the establishment the moment the doctor opened the door for her. It was like an exact replay of that morning. All eyes turned to her, staring at her curiously. Emma rolled her eyes as she actually heard some not so subtle whispering in the back.

The man picked a booth in the back and Emma followed. She would be stupid to turn down the chance of a free drink just because some weird ass people were staring at her. The young brunette waitress - what was her name again? Oh yes, Ruby. - came walking over to them, the note pad already in slim fingers.

"I see you've already met the newbie, Archie." Ruby said with a toothy grin.

"Yes." Archie said with a blush. "Pongo kind off broke her car."

"So this is an apology?"

Emma snorted softly, the two people were talking like she wasn't even there. "Yes, it is. And I wouldn't be a city girl if I turned down the chance of a free drink."

Ruby smiled. "So I guess you'll need a beer." When Emma nodded she turned to the red haired man. "And a coffee for you, Archie?"

"Yes, thank you."

The young brunette turned again to walk away but Emma stopped her. "So since my car is busted, do you know a place I can stay until it's fixed?"

Another bright smile. "Yes actually, my granny has a bed and breakfast too. It's right across the road. Shall I book you a room?"

"Yes that's great, thank you."

"So, why are you here miss Swan? If you don't mind me asking." Archie asked once Ruby was out of earshot.

"Please call me Emma." She said with a sigh, miss Swan reminded her too much of the beautiful and infuriating brunette living with her adorable son just a couple of streets away. "And no I don't mind you asking. I'm here because I needed to apologize to someone."

The way the light in Emma's eyes somewhat dimmed made the red haired doctor curious. "You know, if you want to talk." Archie started.

The blonde across the table thought about if for a second. It wouldn't hurt if she only told this little detail, would it?"I needed to apologize to Regina."

"Regina?" The man said with raised eyebrows. That had actually been a surprise. "As in mayor Mills?"

"The one and only."

Archie frowned, he wondered how on earth this Emma Swan would know their mayor. They were like polar opposites. And Archie would know. Ever since the tragic death of Regina's husband, she had been left alone to raise her son Henry. They'd talked a couple of times. Not sessions of course, Regina Mills was much too proud to ask for help. So instead Archie had walked by her house a couple of times, which happened to be the exact moment Regina came home from work.

"How on earth would you know our mayor?" He flapped out before he could stop himself, this mysterious woman was really spiking his curiosity.

_Saved by the bell_. Emma thought as she saw Ruby walking towards their table with the drinks.

"Here you go." She said as she placed the coffee and the beer on the table. "I've booked you a room, Emma." She said as she accepted the money from the doctor.

"Thanks." Emma answered, taking a big gulp of her beer. She really needed this after the day she'd had.

The brunette smiled and then walked away again. Emma took another gulp and then placed the cold bottle on the table. She watched the red haired man across the table, who was slowly sipping the hot, steaming liquid.

He seemed honest, Emma thought as she wiped her clammy hands at the fabric of her pants. A little nervous maybe, but kind. Good qualities for a psychiatrist. The dog, Pongo, nudged her leg as Emma moved it.

"You know, I'm really tired. I should go, thanks for the drink." Emma said with a tired smile as she stood up, careful not to step on the animal's tail.

"Yes, of course." Archie said as he smiled at her. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, and again, I'm very sorry Emma."

"It's fine, really." She quickly made her way out of the almost suffocatingly hot diner. The cold evening air felt nice against her skin. Crossing the road, she quickly walked inside of the bed and breakfast.

"Hello." The old woman, who Emma remembered was Granny, smiled at her as she walked over to the counter.

"Hi, Ruby said she'd booked me a room."

"Yes." The old woman nodded. "She did, here's your key." She handed her a big old fashioned key. "Enjoy your stay, miss Swan."

"Thanks. But please call me Emma." She said as she moved towards the stairs, not even waiting for a response.

...

The room was cozy and smelled like what Emma would imagine was the smell of a grandmother's home. Not that Emma had ever been to one. Flowered wallpaper adorned the walls, a wooden bed stood against it. There was a big mirror in the corner, a shower and a toilet. All the essentials were there, really.

Emma quickly undressed and jumped in the soft bed. The mattress was way softer then the one at her appartment and it felt like little angels were massaging her back. A loud sigh filled the silent room as she moved onto her stomach. She could easily sleep if it wasn't for that slight nagging in her stomach.

Sure, she'd apologized to the woman, but instead of accepting it, Regina had slammed the door in her face. That didn't really sat well with Emma. There was nothing she could do anymore, she knew that. But still. How would Regina react if she found out that Emma was still here. Still in her town, in her life. Regina had been right, Emma wasn't the kind of woman people would want their children around. She was rude, loud, hadn't finished school and was a bounty hunter. Not a very good combination.

She closed her eyes and finally fell into a restless sleep.

...

Regina was sitting on the large couch in the living room. Henry was long since asleep. To be honest, Regina was feeling extremely tired. But of course, after the day she had had, that was understandable. She had been surprised that Emma Swan had showed up on her porch. Even more surprised when the woman had apologized, or tried to apologize.

Regina had seen guilt in those green eyes, which actually felt good. After all, the woman had slept with her husband, she deserved some guilt.

The little girl inside of her kicked and a watery smile appeared on Regina's face. She moved her hand towards the spot her child was kicking and stroked it in soothing circles.

Here she was, sitting alone on the couch with a glass of apple juice. Mourning the loss of her cheating husband. She was glad Henry was already upstairs becaus Regina was just took tired to put on the mask of strength again. Warm tears slipped down her cheeks, smearing her dark eyeliner and mascara as it cascaded down together with the traitorous liquid.

Regina had reached her limit as a sob left her mouth. Even though it was quickly muffled with a pillow, the sound still echoed throughout the empty house. It was the first time in four weeks that she'd actually allowed herself to break down, to really cry. She'd promised not only Henry, but herself too that she would be strong. She was going to be there for her son.

Another sob was muffled by the dark brown pillow. Another kick as if the little girl was trying to make her mother feel better. It occurred to Regina that she and Peter hadn't even had the time to pick out a name for her. The thought only made her cry harder and she clutched her pregnant stomach in desperation.

_How was it that she always ended up alone..._

...

Okay, that was sad! Sorry. But anyway, leave a review! ;)


	6. Chapter 6

Authors note: Yay, another chapter! ;) By the way, if you want to hear a hauntingly beautiful song, check out the new soundtrack for Malificent, Once Upon A Dream by Lana Del Rey. It's so freakin' beautiful!

...

This morning had been very chaotic, which was unusual in the Mills' household. The alarm hadn't been enough to wake Regina's exhausted mind and when she finally opened her eyes, it was already 8:15. That meant she only had fifteen minutes to dress herself and her son, make breakfast and drive Henry to school. And seeing that she and Henry are both not morning people, it had been a somewhat terrible morning.

Henry had eventually been five minutes late, which wasn't that bad. Regina sighed as she rested her forehead against the steering wheel. She needed her decaf coffee. Like, right now. Putting her black Mercedes in reverse, she steered out of the parking lot. Checking her watch she saw that she still had ten minutes before she had to show up at Town Hall, enough time to swing passed Granny's and quickly grab a coffee to go.

Granny was relatively empty when Regina stepped inside the warm and cozy diner. She smiled back briefly when she noticed Ruby smiling at her. "Hello, Madame Mayor." The young brunette greeted. "Let me guess, coffee? But decaf." She said as she pointed at Regina's protruding stomach.

"That's right Ruby, thank you." She smiled as she leaned against the counter. Her night had been restless and it was already taking a toll on her body.

As the waitress quickly made the coffee and placed the steaming cup in front of the Mayor. She furrowed her dark brows as she noticed how tired the woman looked. The bags under her eyes were easily seen even when covered with foundation. "Are you okay, Regina?" Ruby knew she took a risk by calling Regina by her first name, but she was really worried about the older woman. Regina was having a hard time and everyone in town noticed it. It was logical after all, the woman had just lost her husband.

Regina looked up from her wallet as she pulled out a couple of dollars. A fake smile was already securely in place when her brown eyes finally met Ruby's. "Of course, dear. I just overslept this morning."

Ruby could easily see past the lie, but she didn't want to ask further, afraid that the woman might get irritated and snap at her. She and Regina were already on thin ice as it was. Instead she smiled softly and nodded a goodbye before she walked off to take the order of the couple that just walked in.

Regina grabbed the cup and took a sip before turning on her heels and making her way towards her car again. The bitter liquid was hot and it slightly burned her throat. Putting the cup in the cup holder and threw her purse on the carseat next to her.

She stepped into her office at precisely 9 AM, just on time. Greeting her secretary - an old woman named Susan - she made her way inside of her office. It was exactly the same as she had left it yesterday. As usual, Regina avoided looking at her left and briskly stopped before her large desk. The black surface was neatly organized; files on a pile at the right side, laptop on the left and family photos in the middle.

Henry had said that she needed to put the photos in the middle so that she could always look at him. At the time she thought it had been a great idea, but now she wasn't so sure anymore. Her wedding picture was still proudly standing since she still hadn't put it away. Regina stole a quick glance and saw her own face and Peter's smiling back at her. At that time she had thought she had found it all; a house, a husband and three years later she had had Henry. Her life had been perfect. But then Peter had died - right there, the left corner of her office, the spot Regina always avoided looking at.

Regina was still staring at the picture when a sudden anger flared up inside of her chest. Sure, Peter had died and she had loved him. She was allowed to miss him. But he had betrayed her in the worst way possible. Cheated on her with a young blonde woman, while she was at home, having morning sickness and headaches because she was carrying his child. What kind of man would cheat on his pregnant wife?! Her hand shot out and before she even fully realized it, her finger held the photo frame in a crushing grip and the slammed it down. She heard a crack and she knew the glass had broken. It was weird but the sounds as somewhat satisfying. That photo of a memory Regina need to get passed. That time was gone.

Forever...

The other photos shook with the force Regina had used to slam the other picture down. The shook, but didn't fall. Maybe it was some sort of signal that not everything was over, not everything had changed. The pictures of Henry were still standing and smiling at her, the same went for the sonogram of their - _her_ - unborn child. They were still the same.

...

Lukewarm water and shampoo suds made their way down her naked body. Only to be washed away down the drain. Emma could feel the tension leaving her body. Sure, she was still stranded in the middle of nowhere, in the town where her former - now dead - boyfriend's wife was living with her adorable son. But a shower had always helped to just simply forget.

Shutting the tap, she grabbed the towel from the rack and stepped on the tiled bathroom floor. Toweling herself drie, she grabbed her freshly washed underwear and pulled them on. It was nice, feeling clean again after the day she'd had yesterday. Her stomach made a growling sound, signaling that it was in need of food. She quickly dressed and got out of the room.

The morning air was cold and Emma pulled her red jacket tighter around her middle with her hands. As she stepped inside Granny's, she was met by the unfamiliar but still welcoming smell of coffee. And apple pie.

"Hello, Emma." A cheery voice made itself present behind her and Emma quickly spun around. How the young brunette could be so lively in the morning - well, to be fair, almost noon - would remain a mystery to the blonde.

"Hello..." Emma furrowed her brows as she tried to wake her still sleeping brain enough to remember the girl's name. "Ruby." _That took a little longer than I would've liked._

"Would you like some breakfast? It goes with the room."

Emma smiled as she sat down in one of the empty booths. "Well, I would never pass on a free meal. Some pancakes would be nice."

The brunette scribbled something on her notepad with slender fingers and then nodded. More to herself than to Emma. "Coming right up."

Waiting for her breakfast Emma grabbed the menu to keep her hands busy. All the while trying to come up with ways to maybe threaten the mechanic to make fixing her car his first priority, if she could get out of this town fast, the more unlikely she would run into a certain Mayor Regina Mills.

...

Time had been slow - like really, really slow. But she had survived. As Regina locked her office behind her she checked the clock again. 14:45, time to pick Henry up and go home. She wished her secretary a good afternoon and made her way into the cold Maine air. Her car was parked closest to the entrance, a perk of being the Mayor which certainly come in handy since she was pregnant and walking very long in these heels was already nearly impossible.

The ignition roared to life and Regina pushed the gaspedal in slightly. The school was only a five minutes drive away from Town Hall.

The playground was scattered with parents, who where there to pick their kids up. She greeted Jefferson as she leaned against the gate, watching the door for any sign of her little boy. The bell was loud and echoed throughout the playground. Not even a minute later the double doors were thrown open by a group of eager children.

Regina saw her son's eyes lit up the moment his rested on her. "Mommy!" The boy shrieked as he ran towards her as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Looks what I made!" He proudly held up a drawing which was balled in his little fist.

"That's beautiful Henry!" Regina said as enthusiastically as the boy had just done. She took the drawing from him and nearly started crying when she saw what he had drawn. It was a stick figure with a circle in front of the place where there should be a belly, Regina could already guess that was supposed to be her. Next to the stick figure was a smaller one and Regina just knew that Henry had drawn himself. But that wasn't the thing that brought tears to her eyes. No, Henry had drawn a cloud on the upper right corner of the paper, with on that cloud another stick figure.

"That's daddy! He's on a clouwd becauws he's watchin' ovew us, just like you told me mommy!" Henry said proudly as he held up his arms, signaling that he wanted to be carried. Regina bent down, pulling him in her arms and rested the boy comfortably on her hip before peppering his face with kisses.

"That's beautiful Henry, I love it."

A blush covered the young boys cheeks and he giggled. "Realwy?"

"Yes, really."

"Will you puwt it on the refwi... Refwii.. The cold closet?"

Regina smiled. "Yes Henry, I will put it on the refrigerator."

The boy noticed the word his mother had just said. "Refrwideratow." He tried.

"Very good Henry." Regina smiled proudly as they walked over to the car.

...

Leave a review, and next chapter we'll see how Regina reacts to finding out Emma's still in town ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors note:** Oops, I realize I'm a little late, sorry for that and also sorry because it's a small chapter, I'm just really busy. But anyway, here's a new chapter with some more of Emma and Peter's background. ;)

...

**~Six months ago~**

Emma had absolutely no idea why she was pulling on this tight red dress. Not to mention those ridiculously high black stilettos. Sure, she had slept with the guy and when he had texted her the next day - after she had fled the scene, so to say - to say that he hoped she would want to go to dinner with him, she had been charmed by the question. But this was just kind off weird. Emma usually just moved on after a one night stand and now she was going to dinner with the guy.

_Oh well..._

She grabbed her clutch and locked the door behind her. The little Italian place he had suggested was just around the corner so there was no need to drive the bug.

When she stepped inside the cozy restaurant she was met by the mouthwatering smell of pizza and spices. Soft Italian music was playing on the background as a young blonde waitress walked over and asked if she had a reservation.

"Yes, ehm Peter Johnson." Emma said with an awkward smile.

"Follow me." The waitress said as she turned and walked towards one of the tables on the back, Emma following on her heels.

Peter smiled the moment he saw her and it was strange to think, but it actually warmed Emma's heart.

"Hi." Emma said with a smile as she reached forward, unsure of what to do. Peter stood up and moved her chair backwards.

"Hi." He said as he kissed her cheek, causing Emma to blush slightly.

He sat down too and leaned on his elbows as he kept smiling at her. "I'm really glad you said yes."

"You are?"

"Yes I am." He chuckled. "I really like you Emma."

Emma blinked and smiled sheepishly, she really didn't know how to react to that. "Ehm, tell me something about yourself."

"Well." He said as he leaned back, his blue eyes piercing her green ones. "I live in Storybrooke a small town in Maine."

"Maine?" Emma asked with raised eyebrows. "That's quite a drive."

"Yes well, I'm a businessman so traveling is what I do. Now you tell me something about _you_."

Emma swallowed as she weaved her fingers together. She didn't know how much she was actually willing to share. "Ehm, I'm a bounty hunter." She said awkwardly and then stopped.

He chuckled when he saw Emma's smile. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to Emma." He said softly as he reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "I still like you, though." He grinned and Emma let out a chuckle.

"Good, I like you too."

_Not love, but like. At least for now._

...

**~Present~**

Regina had decided to take the day off. She hadn't slept at all last night so it wouldn't be such a good idea to do the town budget and she stil had some days off anyway. The weather was unusually warm for this time of the year and the sun was shining as Regina slowly made her way out of the store. She still needed some things for the nursery and seeing that Henry was now at school - the boy wasn't really a fan of shopping - this was the perfect time.

Her heels clicked on the pavement as she walked towards Granny's. It was already one and she still hadn't eaten. A cheeseburger and fries would do nicely. Those pregnancies were really hell on her figure. She rounded the corner and quickened her pace, the smell of food was already so alluring.

But the moment Regina stepped into the small diner, her appetite was suddenly gone. Right there, in the last booth was sitting a woman. Her back was towards Regina but the brunette would recognize that blonde hair anywhere. Anger and a little fear - not that she would admit that aloud - filled Regina's stomach as she calmed her features down to an impassive mask and slowly walked over to the booth the blonde woman was occupying.

"Miss Swan?" Regina said as she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look intimidating. She remained standing, trying to sit down with this belly would certainly not look terrifying, and that was exactly what Regina was trying to accomplish. When the blonde looked up with a mix of fear and shame - which was satisfying to say the least - Regina continued. "May I ask what the hell you're still doing here? I thought I made it perfectly clear that I do not want you running around this town, and more importantly my son?" The false grin remained intact as Regina shot the woman a glare, making her intention perfectly clear.

"Well, I uhm." Emma stammered, she was thrown off kilter by the pregnant mayor. Sure, she knew she would eventually meet the woman again. This town wasn't that big, but she hadn't expected right now. "My car is busted - I mean, I was trying not to kill that dog, you know, Pongo? Do you know Pong-"

"Miss Swan!" Regina sternly interrupted, she was starting to lose her already limited patience.

"Fine, my car is broke and now I'm waiting for it to get fixed." Emma sighed. She realized she was making a complete fool out of herself. How come she couldn't speak like a normal person around the woman?

"Shall I ask Billy to put it on top of his list? I sure wouldn't want to keep you here when you you have..." She glanced at the red jacket Emma was wearing with an obvious look of disdain. "Things to do."

Emma caught the look and narrowed her eyes in response. "That would be great Madame Mayor. How kind of you."

"Of course Miss Swan, but I think we both know this is more for me then for you." And with that Regina turned on her heels and stalked out of the small diner.

...

Regina groaned as she threw her phone on the couch and dropped down next to it. Getting that Swan woman out of her town would be harder then she'd thought. Billy said he had to buy some parts he didn't have on his shop and delivering would be at least a week. _Damn_.

She reached for the sack of potato chips that was still lying on the table. This was really killing her figure but she hadn't eaten after all. "If I get fat, I'll just blame Swan," she grumbled under her breath as she took a handful. Just when she was about to stuff her face, the phone rang.

"Mayor Mills." Regina sighed as she answered.

"Madame Mayor? It's Sydney." A male voice came from the other side of the line.

"What is it, Sydney?" Regina asked, slightly annoyed to be bothered on her day off.

"Those papers you've ordered have arrived at your office."

"Oh, okay. Thank you Sydney. I will get to those immediately." Regina said as she put the patato chips back in the sack. It seemed she was still going to the office today.

...

Leave a review ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors note:** Thank you so much for all your kind reviews! I'm sorry the chapter is a little short, next time it'll be longer. ;)

...

Signing the last of the contracts, Regina pushed the papers away and leaned back in her leather office chair. She let out a long sigh as she looked up at the clock and noticed that her day off was almost over and it was almost time to pick Henry up from school.

Time was going so fast. Sometimes almost too fast. Henry was already turning five next month and her daughter would be born within the next three months. Only thinking about the birth had Regina feeling anxious. The first time with Henry had been hard, but then she'd had Peter to help her through the painful labor. Huffing and puffing along with her as Regina was squeezing his hand so hard that she still didn't know how he hadn't broken a bone. But now she was completely alone. Sure, she had Katherine. But the blonde couldn't very well stay with her during the first years, Katherine had her own life.

Regina shook her head. There was no need to think about that just yet, she still had three months to go. She could do this, she was strong.

...

**~ One months ago ~**

Her pale hands were shaking as she turned her back to the blonde woman who was dressed in a black shirt and black pants. Katherine reached for the small zipper and zipped the black maternitydress up. Regina was still looking at the floor of her bedroom as she stepped into her black pumps.

Today is the funeral.

Only thinking about the fact that she needed to bury her husband today hurt her immensely. She unconsciously reached for her bulging stomach, feeling her little girl kick against the palm of her hand.

"Regina?" She heard Katherine's soft voice behind her and turned around. But then quickly realised she shouldn't have. The bile that had been bothering her the whole morning finally rose. Regina's face went pale and she stormed inside the bathroom, dropping down in front of the toilet before she emptied the contents of her already empty stomach.

"Regina?!" Katherine asked again as she hunched down next to the brunette and held the short brown hair back. "Shhh. It's okay." She whispered as she rubbed soothing circles on the woman's back. "Everything is going to be fine."

After a couple of minutes, her stomach finally seemed to have calmed down and Regina sat back, still keeping her head bowed as she wiped the cold sweat and tears off her cheeks.

"Are you feeling better?" Katherine asked, worry evident in her voice.

Regina shook her head as a sob left her mouth. Nothing was feeling better. And she started to wonder if it ever would be again. She was a pregnant widow with a four year old son.

"Oh darling, come here." Katherine pulled the brunette into her arms and kissed her forehead. "You know I'm here for you, Regina. You can tell me anything."

"I don't know how to do this without Peter." Regina choked out as droplets of salty tears rolled down her cheeks. The moment the words left her mouth she buried her face in Katherine's neck.

There was a thick moment of silence as the words filled the small bathroom. But it was over as soon as it started. "It will be alright, I'll be here for you, just remember that." Katherine whispered as she wrapped her arms tighter around the now sobbing brunette.

"I don't know what to do." Regina whispered as she squeezed her hands into fists. "I just- I miss him so much, I don't know what to do." She pulled back so she could look at the blonde. "And I just can't do this."

Katherine reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Yes you can Regina. You are not alone."

...

She was watching through tear blurred vision as they lowered the black coffin in the ground. There was a cold wind fluttering through the silent graveyard. Her left hand was holding her son's right one in a tight grip. Henry was still too young to fully understand what was happening, but he was still holding his mother's hand just as tight.

The sweet gesture only made Regina's tears fall faster. She could taste the salty liquid on her lips as she tried to cover a sob with a small cough. Regina felt how Katherine's hand softly squeezed her shoulder as a form of silent support.

But not even that gesture could alleviate the pain she was feeling right now.

...

**~ Present ~ **

She snapped out of her thoughts. That particular memory always made a shiver ran through her spine. The sympathetic glances she had gotten right after the funeral were still burned in her mind. She hated sympathy, it had always been too close to pity.

And that was exactly what she had been worried about. The pity that reflected in their eyes everytime she walked down the street, every time she was in the store and every time when she stepped inside Granny's. Those sad eyes that first glanced at her pregnant stomach before meeting her eyes.

She still hated those glances.

...

"Oh I'm terribly sorry." Emma said apologetically as she bent down to grab the items and placed them back in the woman's shopping basket.

"Oh it's alright..." The blonde woman strained, signaling that she wanted to know the strangers's name.

"I'm Emma." She shrugged with a smile.

The woman's face changed immediatly from kind to suspicious. "So you're the one."

Emma furrowed her brows in confusion. "I'm the what?"

Instead of answering the woman narrowed her eyes further. "I'm Katherine, Regina's friend." She smiled when she saw Emma swallow. "She has told me about you. But from what I've gathered she wanted you gone."

"Yes, well." Emma said, starting to get annoyed by the other blonde. "That's a little hard seeing that my car is busted."

Katherine seemed to think about it for a minute before she glanced up with a protective look in her eyes. "Just make sure you stay away from Regina." She quickly brushed past Emma and stalked over to the cash register.

"Will do." Emma muttered to herself before grabbing what she came for.

...

Emma swore to herself that this was an accident. She did not deliberately follow the intimidating brunette as soon as she saw her. And now she was not _deliberately_ standing behind a tree watching how a certain Regina Mills crossed the street and walked up the playground of what seemed to be the school.

The only problem was that she _did_ deliberately follow Regina, and that's she _was_ deliberately standing behind a tree to keep herself out of sight.

The school bell rang through the entire street, causing the blonde to jump a little at the harsh sound. She was still staring when the double doors were pushed open and a sea of little children ran out of the old building. The small boy who she remembered to be Regina's son ran towards the mayor and jumped in her arms. It was a heartwarming sight to see and Emma couldn't help but feel like a creepy stalker, watching what clearly was a special moment between a mother and her son.

But she just couldn't help herself as the small boy planted a kiss on his mother's cheek and Regina lifted him in her arms with what seemed like a little strain. Her green eyes followed as the pair walked in the direction of Regina's car and Emma smiled to herself. It was a torured smile, it was a smile that realized that she had brought that woman - the one who was carrying her son towards the car even though it was probably smarter not to, much more pain than she was already suffering.

...

Leave a review ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors note:** Someone asked for more Regina/Emma interaction. Well here you go. ;)

...

The sound of the engine roaring was the only thing that filled the quiet afternoon air. Emma's green eyes were fixed on the faint white line that crossed the road, signaling the border. It should have been easy to just push down the gas pedal and drive over the line, leaving behind Regina, Henry and Peter's grave. But the thing is, it sure as hell just wasn't. There was still some weird feeling in the pit of Emma's belly and it felt like guilt. Which was weird because Emma had tried on numerous occasion to apologize to the woman, stating that she really didn't know Peter had been married, but it had been useless. So Emma had given up and instead tried to avoid the woman as best as possible while she waited for her car to be fixed.

And the moment was finally here...

Emma let out a loud sigh as she dropped her head on the steering wheel and mumbled a curse under her breath when her skull connected painfully hard with the solid material. She willed her foot to push down, but the muscles remained unmoving. Something just didn't feel right. She glanced at the dashboard clock and groaned. 5:30 PM, she had been sitting here for at least two hours.

Maybe she couldn't leave because she hadn't seen Regina at all today? No- not Regina. Maybe it was because she wanted to see Henry one last time? Yes, that sounded about right, she had always had a soft spot for children. Or maybe just this child because it was Peter's. That must be the reason why she was unwilling to leave this town. Emma had to admit to herself that she had loved Peter, maybe not love love, but love nonetheless.

Yes, she just needed time to close this chapter. Sure, the last time she had actually seen him was over two months ago and that was only briefly. But now was different, now it was sure that she would really, really never see him again.

It was _not_ because she had felt some strange unexplainable connection towards Regina Mills. It was certainly not about that. Like, at all.

It was because she wanted to say goodbye to her boyfriend.

At least, that was what Emma was trying to force herself to believe.

Another groan filled the small space of her beat up big and Emma again bumped her head on the steering wheel for good measure this time.

"Fuck it, Swan." She reprimanded herself as she stared up at the rearview mirror. "You are a goddamn grown woman and you're capable of making your own decisions. If you want to turn this car around and drive back to Storybrook, you sure as hell will!"

And just like that, Emma did.

...

Emma was driving almost over the speed limit. She had allowed herself one quick rife around town and then she would drive back to Boston and go on with her life, forgetting that all this shit had ever happened.

She was deep in thought until a loud bang somewhere from her right caught her attention. She heard the sound of an explosion and then the sound of glass hitting stone. Emma snapped her head to the right and quickly turned the steering wheel in the same direction. Only now did she notice what had happened.

The loud explosion had come from Town Hall. The windows had burst and the road was covered in glass. Emma jumped out of her car, not even bothering to turn the engine off. Her eyes were glued to the total destruction in front of her.

The glassless windows were completely opaque, caused by the black smoke plums that escaped in the air. Even though Emma couldn't see anything, she was sure she heard something.

Just a faint, almost unnoticeable sound.

It was enough proof for Emma that there was someone inside.

She ran towards the door, the glass crunched under the soles of her boots as her breath formed puffs of air all the while grabbing her phone and dialing 911. The - now almost evening - air hit her in the face but Emma was anything but cold as she put her phone back in the pocket of her tight jeans.

She could feel the adrenaline coursing though her veins and the heat that came from the expected fire inside of Town Hall.

Emma reached out for the door handle but then quickly pulled back. The metal was scolding hot. There was no way of touching that without getting at least first grade burns. But Emma also knew there was absolutely no time to wait for help. Pulling the sleeve of her red leather jacket down she used it to open the door.

A big plum of smoke met her the moment the door was open. Tears formed in Emma's eyes as the biting smoke hit her eyes. She coughed and buried her mouth and nose in the crook of her elbow as she stepped inside.

Black and red. That was all Emma could see. Flames and Smoke.

And then a body.

But not just a body.

A pregnant body, a pregnant body that Emma knew belonged to none other then Mayor Regina Mills.

_Fuck!_

Emma leaped over a fallen chair and hurried her way to the now unnervingly still body. Regina's face was pale and her eyes were closed, there were black smudges on her cheeks but the woman still looked absolutely beautiful.

Her shaking fingers moved to Regina's throat as she prayed that the brunette was still alive. The moment she found a faint but nonetheless beating pulse, Emma let out a relieved breath. She looked at the woman's pregnant stomach with a worried glance. She didn't know why, but Emma reached out a hand and carefully laid it on Regina's protruding waist. Tears of happiness filled Emma's eyes as she felt a soft kick against the palm of her hand.

They were both alive.

The relieved feeling didn't stay long, however.

_How the hell am I going to get her out of here?_

Emma bit her lip as she looked the body in front of her up and down and noticed a steal frame that was trapping Regina's ankle.

_Shit..._

Emma quickly stood up and pulled her sleeves down again. She grabbed the frame and tried to lift it so she could free Regina's ankle. But the frame was heavy and Emma let out a pained whimper as the frame remained unmoving.

She needed to get Regina out off here.

Now.

Another try, but the damn metal stil didn't move an inch.

"Shit." Emma cursed as she coughed again. There was not much time left. Regina's already weak pulse got weaker by the minute. Emma's lungs were burning by the lack of oxygen and the smoke caused her eyes to tear, blurring her already limited vision.

Emma clutched her fists as she grabbed the metal again. In the distance she could hear sirens. She bent through her knees and used all the strength she had left. Heaving breaths were taken as Emma finally felt a movement. The heavy metal was lifted slowly and Emma let out a roar as she pushed it to the side.

The blood was pounding in her ears as Emma dropped to her knees next to Regina's body and put her arms under the brunette's knees and back. Emma felt faint in her head as she lifted the surprisingly light body in her arms. Her legs were shaking as she started to walk towards the exit.

And then there was blinding light. Even thought it was starting become dark, light were blinding Emma's eyes. Giant construction lamps.

Emma didn't even register it as Regina's body was pulled out of her arms by a firefighter. There was yelling and more light. She felt how someone grabbed her arms and she was pulled towards one of the two ambulances.

"Are you alright, miss Swan?" A young woman asked as she sat the blonde down on a gurney.

Emma wasn't even surprised that the woman knew her name, rumors spread like wildfire in small towns like this.

Emma managed to nod and she felt how an oxygen mask was placed over her nose and mouth. She took big gulps of the air and started to feel better already.

The young brunette - who was apparently a doctor - grabbed the small light out of her pocket and used it to test Emma's brainfunction.

"You seem to be fine, miss Swan. Other then some light burns on your hands and some smoke inhalation, you're fine." She said with a reassuring smile.

Once her hands were treated and bandaged, Emma pulled the oxygen mask off her face. "How's Regina?"

The brunette shook her head. "I know no specifics, but Mayor Mills has been taken to the hospital. The same place you're going miss Swan."

...

Emma was sitting in the hospital bed, the oxygen mask had been replaced with a tube. She was biting her bottom lip, sorry for Regina was the only thing on her mind right now.

The door opened and revealed doctor Whale. "How's Regina? I mean, Mayor Mills." Emma immediately asked.

Dr. Whale didn't react straight away as he grabbed her chart from the end of her bed. He studied it with a professional look and then looked up. "You're good to go miss Swan, but I would like to keep you here at least for tonight." He waited until Emma nodded before continuing. "And as for Mayor Mills, she hasn't woken up yet, so we can't be fuly sure, but it looks good so far."

"And the b- the baby?"

"The baby is completely healthy." Whale said and then shot her a small smile. "It's all because of you miss Swan. You should be proud of yourself."

And then he left.

...

Katherine was waiting for doctor Whale to come back. Henry had eventually exhausted himself with all the crying - which was understandable of course - and was now sort off asleep in her arms. Henry had been with them when the accident happened. Regina had called and said that she needed to work on something and asked Katherine to pick him up.

Katherine was so glad she complied.

Dr. Whale came walking in the waiting area and smiled at her. "Regina had just woken up, she's fine other then that she inhaled a lot of smoke. The baby is completely healthy. You can go see her now."

Katherine nodded her thanks and turned her attention to the small boy in her arms. "Henry?" She softy, nudged the brunet.

Henry yawned as he opened his eyes.

"We can see mommy now, Henry."

Henry's bottom lip quivered. "Is mommy alwight? Auntie Kat?"

"Yes Henry, your mommy and sister are both alright."

Katherine quickly walked towards Regina's room and stopped when she saw her friend lying in the hospital bed. She looked so small, Katherine had never seen her look so... vulnerable.

Henry started to struggle in her grip and Katherine quickly put him down. "Mommy!" The small scream caused Regina's eyes to snap open. Her brown orbs immediately watered when she laid eyes on her son.

"Henry." Regina's voice croaked as Henry used the chair to climb on the bed. She pulled him in a tight embrace and kissed his head.

"Don't cwy mommy." Henry said softly as he wiped the salty liquid from his mother's cheeks.

...

Emma was standing in the door opening. She was wearing some scrubs seeing that the clothes she had been wearing yesterday smelled like smoke. Dr. Whale had cleared her, so now Emma Swan was standing in the door opening of Regina's room.

She thought the brunette was asleep so the sudden voice startled her.

"Do you plan to come in miss Swan, or are you just going to remain standing there?"

Emma blushed as she stepped inside.

"I heard what you did." Regina said and Emma thought it sounded almost nice.

"Yeah, well. I was just in the neighborhood, you know." Emma said as she looked down at her shoes.

"I want to thank you, miss Swan." Regina said as she slowly sat up and rested a hand on her stomach. Emma had never imagined she would see the brunette like this. Regina face was cleared form makeup and her hair was tousled from the pillow.

She looked beautiful.

"You saved me, and my baby."

"It's nothing."

Regina sighed. "It is something, miss Swan. So would you please just accept my gratitude so we can move past this."

"I see nearly dying hasn't stopped your snark." It was out before Emma could really think the words over."

"No it sure hasn't, dear." Regina smirked as she leaned further in the pillows. "So when are you going back to Boston? I'd hate to stroke your ego any longer by keeping you here and let the people of Storybrooke believe that you're some sort of hero."

Emma felt anger fill her stomach, but stopped herself from taking the bait. "Well you know, _Madame Mayor._ I've inhaled quite a lot of smoke from you know, _rescuing_ you, and I've heard that there's nothing better for my recovery then clean air. Were better to get clean air then right here, in Storybrooke?"

...

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	10. Chapter 10

**Authors note:** Chapter 10 already! I want to thank all of you who reviewed, favorited and/or followed ;)

...

Regina groaned aloud as she stuffed another shirt the black duffle bag that was sitting on the hospital bed. She glared at the bag as if it had done something unforgivable. Once she had put all her belongings in the bag she zipped it up and sat herself down on the bed next to it with yet another angry huff.

"Stupid Swan." She mumbled under her breath as she checked the clock for the umpteenth time that morning. She had been allowed to go home today and Katherine was supposed to be here in five minutes to pick her up. Henry would probably be with her, seeing that she had given permission for Henry to miss a couple of days of school. The boy had lost his father a little over a month ago and now his mother was in the hospital also. Her poor son must have been terrified.

As Regina sat there, waiting for her ride to arrive a sudden nauseous feeling struck her. This had actually been the first time she was in a hospital since... _that day_. She had not been here since then, even though she had had an appointment with her OB/GYN a week after... her husband's death. It had all been to fresh back then.

...

**~ 6 weeks ago ~ **

"No please! You have to help him!" Regina sobbed as she followed the gurney her husband had been placed on. Two man dressed in blue coats with on the back 'paramedic' written in black were almost running as they pushed the gurney through the double doors and into the hospital.

Regina followed them all the way into a hallway where she was stopped by one of the nurses.

"You can't go any further, Madame Mayor." She said in a stern but not unkind voice.

"No you don't understand..." Regina sobbed as she tried to get her arm free from the woman's grip, but to no avail, the nurse would not budge. "I need- I need to see him, my husband..." Tears were streaming freely down her cheeks as she gave up fighting and exhaustion took over. "He- he just collapsed in my office. I need to know! I need to know if he's going to be okay. I can't- he can't leave me! He can't leave me alone to- to raise Henry and this baby all by myself!" If Regina wasn't so upset, she would've ripped herself away from the old nurse and walked away to the bathroom, she couldn't let people see her this weak. But now, she just couldn't help herself.

The old nurse felt that Regina was starting to get heavier and heavier as she lost the ability to carry her own weight. "Let's sit down, Regina." She said softly. Even though the Mayor was a kind woman, though sometimes a little bit of a bitch, no one ever dared to use her first name, it was always 'Miss Mills' or 'Madame Mayor' or 'Mayor Mills' . And she could easily guess Regina liked the authority it brought with it.

Regina could only nod tiredly as she felt herself being led to a chair. When the old nurse had finally placed Regina in the chair she sat back on her haunches so she could look the Mayor in her eyes. Grey eyes met teary brown ones when Regina finally lifted her head. "There, just breath, darling." She said softly and placed her wrinkly hands on the brunette's thighs and rubbed soothingly. "I will get you a glass of water and in the meantime you're going to dry your eyes with this." The old woman pulled a clean tissue from her pocket and handed it to Regina. "When I come back I want those eyes tear free and you breathing calmed down. This kind off stress is not good for your baby."

Regina nodded as she watched the old nurse walk away. She lifted the tissue and carefully rubbed the tears from her cheeks. When she was done she looked down again. Her hands were shaking and the tissue was stained black from her mascara.

"So, much better." The old nurse said as she handed Regina a white styrofoam cup. She took place in the chair next to Regina and just sat there for a minute.

"You don't have to stay, you know. I'm sure you have other things to do." Regina said in a hoarse voice from her crying and screaming.

"Actually, I don't. It's slow today, Madame Mayor." The nurse said with a kind smile.

"Please call me Regina."

"Regina then." She said softy. "I'm Rose."

There was a tense silence as Regina took slow and small sips of her water. Her hands were still shaking but she didn't pay much attention to that. Memories kept haunting her. Images of her husband collapsing in the middle of her office. It as so strange. One minute he was just talking to her and the next he was lying on her black and white floor, clutching his blouse over the place his heart was.

Regina had called the paramedics immediately and the two men arrived five minutes later with a gurney. She had been standing by her desk in shock, unable to do anything other then watching how the two men lifted her husband and placed his on the gurney. She clenched her hands around her desk as she listened carefully to what the paramedics said to each other. She had heard 'heart attack' and 'he's crashing' but the words hadn't really registered until she followed the paramedics out of the ambulance.

And now she was here. Worried sick. Wondering if her husband was going to survive.

"Is he going to make it?" Regina heard herself say before she could even think about it.

She didn't look up when she heard Rose shift in her seat. "There's no way of knowing, Regina. Your husband has had a pretty serious heart attack. But we're doing everything we can to help him."

Regina breathed deeply, trying to calm the upcoming wave of emotions. She laid a hand on top of her protruding stomach, feeling a small movement coming from the little girl inside of her. A watery smile lifted Regina's lips slightly.

Rose saw the move and smiled also. "How far along are you?" She asked carefully.

Regina kept stroking her belly as she finally shifted her gaze from the now almost empty cup in her hand to the old nurse next to her. "Five months."

"Do you know what you're having?" Rose asked, trying to distract the brunette in front of her.

The watery smile on Regina's face broadened. "A little girl."

"Congratulations." Rose smiled. "What does Henry think about having a little sister?"

"He's excited. He says he's going to protect her forever." Regina chuckled when she recalled the way her son had said the words. He had held his head high and his hands on his hips. Peter said he reminded her of his mother.

Peter...

"He just needs to survive this." Regina said softly. "I can't loose him. Not now"

Rose nodded understandingly. She placed a hand on Regina's shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. "I understand, darling. I really do."

...

**~ Present ~ **

Regina shook her head as she was snapped out of her memories by a soft knock on the doorpost. Katherine was standing in the doorway, carrying Henry on her hip.

"Are you ready?" She asked softly, not wanting to wake Henry, who was asleep in her arms.

"Yes, I'm fine." Regina said as she stood up and reached for Henry. Once the boy was back in his mother's arms, he slowly started to open his brown eyes.

"Mommy!" He squealed and wrapped his small arms around his mother's neck. "Awe we going home again?!"

Regina smiled when she nodded. "Yes Henry, we're going home again." She kissed his forehead and inhaled the familiar scent of his hair.

"Yay!" He yelled and buried his head in Regina's neck. "I missed you and my toys at home too!"

Regina chuckled as she rubbed his back. "I missed you too, darling."

She reached for her black duffle bag but before she could grab it, Katherine had already swung it over her shoulder.

The blonde winked and then proceeded to pull her car keys from her pocket. "Let's go then shall we." She smiled.

"Yes." Regina smiled in relieve. "Let's go. Finally."

...

It was almost one o'clock when Regina was done with putting the clothes she had worn in the hamper and had taken a long shower. Henry was sitting on her bed, playing with some toys when Regina walked in, dressed in black maternity slacks and a white blouse. She had put some makeup on and blow dried her hair.

"Mommy, can we go to Gwanny's?" Henry asked as he dropped the plastic car back on her bed.

Regina sighed as she sat down on the end of her bed and ruffled her son's brown hair. "You need a haircut, sweetheart." Regina said softly, more to herself then to Henry. "Well, you need to put on some pants if you want to go to Granny's."

Henry's brown eyes lit up as he quickly moved off the bed. "I'll do it, mommy!" He yelled and ran towards his room.

"No running Henry!" Regina tried to remind him, but the little boy was already out off the door.

...

Emma was drinking a hot chocolate and eating a cheese burger in one of the booths at Granny's when she saw a familiar brunet boy run inside. She smiled when she heard the sultry voice she would recognized anywhere yell 'Henry'. Apparently Henry had left behind his mother.

It wasn't exactly a coincidence that Emma was sitting here. She had heard the Mayor would be released from the hospital today and she just couldn't resist the urge to come down here, hoping she would catch a glimps from the gorgeous but infuriating brunette.

Turns out it would be more then just a glimps.

Regina had come at the best time, if you asked Emma. The diner was packed, packed as in, all the seats were taken.

She was watching the door when the Mayor stepped inside, searching for her son.

"Henry, it's very busy, let's go home and we'll go tomorrow, okay darling?" She heard Regina say. A pout appeared on Henry's face as Emma saw him nod. Mother and son were about to turn around when Emma suddenly spoke up.

"Oh, Madame Mayor!" She yelled and watched how Regina turned around. Her brown eyes turned dark with anger when she saw Emma. "You can sit here, there's enough place." Emma grinned, this was the perfect opportunity to be with Regina - wait what?! She meant, mess with Regina.

Yes that was what she meant.

Regina's lips turned down in a displeased snarl. "Really, there's no need for that miss Swan."

"But mommy, that way we can sit!" Henry said enthusiastically.

"No, Henry, we wouldn't want to interrupt miss Swan's meal." Regina said slowly.

"Oh, it's fine Madame Mayor." Emma grinned again.

"See, she said it was fine! Please mommy?" Henry pouted.

There was a small moment of silence but Regina eventually relented. "Fine." She sighed.

"Thank you, mommy!" Henry squealed as he quickly climbed up the booth, facing Emma. Regina scooted in after him.

"I'm Henry!" The boy smiled as he stuck out his hand for Emma to take.

"Hi Henry." Emma smiled and shook his hand. "I'm Emma."

"So, why this sudden kindness, miss Swan?" Regina asked as she reached for the menu and gave it to Henry, who quickly opened it and began looking at the different kinds off food.

"Oh you know." Emma shrugged. "Just trying to be neighborly."

"Wouldn't that require you to actually _live_ in this town, Miss Swan? Need I remined you that you do not."

"Well, Madame Mayor, then I guess this is the right moment to tell you that I've actually been looking for an appartment to rent around here." Emma grinned. It had been an absolute lie, but she was not about to let Regina know that. "I need a change of scenery, you know? I've been living in Boston for the last four years now and it's beginning to bore."

Regina bit the inside of her lip to keep the enraged snarl off of her face. Who did that woman think she was?! Rolling into her live and that of her sons's like that without her permission. She took a quick glance at her son and saw that he was deeply in thought about what he was going to choose.

"I know you do this just to spite me, miss Swan. And I must say that that's rather cruel. I do not need to see my husband's _mistress_ every time I turn the corner."

Emma knew there was a glimmer of truth in that, but she just couldn't let it go. "The victim role doesn't suit you, Regina." Emma enjoyed the way fire burned in Regina's eyes because of the first name use. "Need I remind you that I did not know he was a husband and that I've apologized multiple times." Emma then sat back. "And not everything's about you, Madame Mayor."

Emma shot one smile to Henry and then stood up.

"Enjoy your meal."

...

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	11. Chapter 11

**Authors note:** Over 200 followers already! Wow, thank you all so much.

...

Graham was sitting at his desk, drawing a stick figure on a piece of paper. He looked up when he heard the tell tale click clack of Regina's stilettos. He immediately crumbled the paper with his right fist and instead opened the file that was lying on the right corner of his desk.

"Madame Mayor. What a surprise." He said with a smile as he laid the file back down on his desk. "What can I help you with?"

Regina shot him a knowing smile as she sat down on the chair by his desk. "I wanted to know if there's any news in the case."

"Actually there is." Graham nodded as he reached for another yellow file. "I've investigated the scene and it seemed like it was a leaking gaspipe that the construction workers must have hit while they were renovating. There wasn't much gas but it was still enough to set off a small explosion just by simply turning on the lights."

Regina sighed in relief as she crossed her legs. "So no intend? It was just an accident?"

"Yep."

"Great. The last thing I needed was a psycho on my back." Regina said sarcastically as she stood up again with the grace a 'normal' pregnant woman couldn't have.

Graham chuckled as he stood up also. "Yes, well I can assure you, there are no assassins out to get you here in Storybrooke."

Regina raised her eyebrows in question. "Here in Storybrooke?" She said with a smug smile.

"Oh, you know what I mean, Regina."

...

Emma dropped herself down in the booth with a grunt. Last night had been terrible. She hadn't slept, like at all. She leaned her elbows on the table and let her head fall in her hands. She was just so goddamn tired, but she needed to find an appartment. Preferably today seeing that she was already staying at Granny's for more then a week and they were just not _that_ cheap. Maybe Ruby knows something...

"Ruby?" Emma asked as she made eyecontact with the young brunette who was standing behind the bar, drying off a glass.

Ruby smiled as she came walking towards Emma's table. "What can I do for you, Emma?" She asked as she sat down in the booth too, facing the blonde.

"Ehm, I was wondering if you maybe know an appartment that I can rent around here?"

Ruby looked up in thought but then shook her head. "No, not really. We're a small town so there are no appartment complexes or something around here."

"Great." Emma sighed in defeat. _How am I going to solve this problem? _

"Sorry, Em. Maybe a free coffee to ease your dissapointment?" Ruby asked with a small smile.

Emma chuckled. "Yeah that would be great."

Ruby stood up again and walked over to the bar to make the coffee. Emma buried her head in her hands again. This was really going bad. She needed a goddamn appartment because living here any longer was going to make her go broke.

"Ehm, I'm sorry, I'm Mary Margaret and I couldn't help but overhear your conversation."

A soft and girly voice broke Emma from her thoughts and she looked up again. There was a small woman with dark pixie cut hair standing in front of her. Before Emma could speak up, the woman sat down and started talking again. "I may be able to help. I have an appartment and there is a spare room, so if you want it, it's yours."

Emma narrowed her eyes, trying to find some sort off creepy undertone, but she found none. The woman in front of her seemed nice and maternal.

"I also ask no rent." The petit woman smiled.

"Are you sure you want me as a roommate?" Emma asked skeptically. "You don't even know me, maybe I'm some sort of psycho or something."

"I doubt that, Emma." Mary Margaret chuckled softly when Emma's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Rumors of someone new in town spread very fast in such a small community. But anyway, I'm pretty sure you're not a psycho so if you want the room, it's yours." The brunette stood up and smiled again. "Think about it."

...

** ~ Four weeks ago ~**

"Regina, honey?" Katherine asked carefully. She was standing in front of the closed door that let to the study. It had been two weeks since Peter had died and Katherine was worried about her friend. Regina hadn't cried since the hospital. Which was strange. It was almost like the brunette was just a hollow shell when Henry wasn't near her. The only time Katherine could recognize her was when she was with Henry. "Are you alright?" She asked but was met by silence once again.

"Regina?" She tried again but there was still no answer. "I'm coming in, alright?" She slowly pushed down the door handle and opened the dark wooden door.

Katherine knew there was a lot to expect when it came to Regina Mills. But this was certainly not something Katherine could've come up with. The brunette was sitting on the floor, surrounded by small trinkets and papers that Katherine could easily assume were Peter's. There was a look of fury on Regina's face, though her cheeks were wet with tears. One thing in particular caught the blonde's attention. There was a small piece of paper that looked like some sort of receipt, that was tightly crumbled in Regina's shaking fist.

"Regina, honey? What happened?" Katherine asked softly as she slowly moved towards the upset woman. Once she had reached Regina she dropped down on her knees and faced the brunette. "Honey?" Katherine slowly reached out and softly stroked Regina's knee in a form of comfort. "Can you tell me what's wrong."

Regina blinked as she seemed to snap out of her angry trance, she looked down at her clenching fists and her eyebrows furrowed in a mix of pain and anger. "He cheated!" She growled.

Katherine's blue eyes widened in surprise when she registered Regina's words. "How do you know that darling?"

Regina held out the receipt and then slowly gripped the chair to push herself off the ground. "The bastard cheated on me!" Regina yelled as more tears gathered in the corners of her eyes only to roll down her cheeks not even a second later.

Katherine looked down at the receipt. It was from some sort of restaurant in Boston and it was for _two_ people. "Maybe he was just with someone from his business? This doesn't have to mean he cheated on you, Regina."

"I thought that too at first, but then I found something on his cellphone." Regina sighed softly as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. It had been hard to search his cellphone seeing that her and Peter's relationship had always been based on trust. But she just had to know if the trust she had always placed in him was being abused.

Turns out it had been.

"There were some pictures... and texts." Regina said as she looked at Peter's phone that was lying on her desk. "I cannot believe he did that to me! I am pregnant with his child! How can he do this to me, Katherine?!"

"Oh honey." Katherine said softly as she stood up and moved to Regina to pull the brunette in a hug. "I don't know why he did it, but I do know it wasn't about you."

...

**~ Present ~ **

"Ah, miss Swan, enjoying the view before you're leaving?" Regina asked with a smirk as she sat down on the bench next to the blonde.

Emma didn't even needed to look to know who it was, so she kept staring out over the ocean. "Madame Mayor, you know quite well that I'm not leaving any time soon. So the question is, why are you here?"

"Oh we'll see about that miss Swan. You see." Regina said with her winning smile when Emma finally turned her head to look at her. "I always get what I want."

Emma couldn't help but stare at the brunette's lips for just a moment. She knew that what she was doing was wrong. For gods sake, she was supposed to hate the woman, or at least be severely angry with her. But the thing is, Emma wasn't. Sure she was annoyed with the brunette for toying with her every chance she got, but there was also some sort of attraction between them. And by the way Regina was sometimes staring at her, Emma knew she could feel it too.

Regina caught the way Emma stare lingered at her lips and she couldn't help but shoot the blonde a knowing smile. Who then in her turn blushed slightly, but her face remained as cocky as always.

Game on...

"What is it, Miss Swan? See something you like?" Regina asked as she raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow and purposely bit her bottom lip, exposing her pearly white teeth.

Emma eyes quickly shot up as she mentally groaned. So Regina had noticed? Another thing the brunette could pester her about. Dammit. But if there is one thing about Emma, it's that she hated loosing.

Two can play this game.

"Actually, I do. _Madame Mayor."_The cocky grin was back up when Emma said the words.

Regina's smile faltered slightly. This was certainly not something she had expected. She had expected Emma to be so ashamed of being caught that she would've stepped into her car and driven off.

But of course, this is Emma Swan we're talking about.

"Well, it was a pleasure as always, miss Swan. But I'm afraid I have to go."

Emma grinned as she watched the brunette push herself off the bench with grace. "Oh, it sure was a _pleasure_ Madame Mayor."

...

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